THE DOG:Originally, dogs were the companions of the Goddess. They guarded the gates of Her Underworld realm and aided Her in receiving the souls of the dead. In Egypt, the dog was a symbol of Amenti, the Great Mother. Dogs or hounds accompanied Cybele, Artemis, and Diana. Ancient Greeks called dogs psychic, saying their howling carried away departing souls. Hecate had her dogs of darkness and the Underworld. Dogs and hounds were often portrayed with Celtic Mother Goddesses, such as Epona, who rode with a dog in her lap. They could be either lunar or solar creatures. When Athene too k her aspect of death-goddess, her priestesses would howl or sing at the Moon. There are vague hints in ancient records that these priestesses, either actually or figuratively, ran in packs to hunt down a soul. The three-headed dog Cerebus guarded the gates of the Greek Underworld. Among Scythian tribes, Artemis was called the Divine Huntress and the Great Bitch. Her priestesses were known as the Alani (hunting dogs) and sacred bitches; they hunted and sacrificed the stag-gods. "Son of a Bitch" originally meant a follower of the Goddess. In Irish mythology, the dog Dormarth was said to guard the gate of death; mourning too loudly could make the dog attack the approaching soul. In Wales, the Cwn Annwn (Underworld Hounds) of Arawn, Lord of the Underworld, were always white with red ears. They ran down and punished those who broke the laws of men and the gods. Nodens, the god of springs and healing, was able to shape-shift into a dog. The Moon dogs of the Norse people are very similar to the Cwn Annwn of Wales; these dogs were connected with the goddess Hel and were said to run with Odhinn during the Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt, or the Ride of death, appears in many stories all over Europe. Norse and Teutonic literature tell of Odhinn, or the Erl King, riding with a pack of phantom hounds (great black beasts with eyes as big as saucers) during storms. This ride was suppose to happen on New Year's Eve, storm or not. Folklore says that to hear the sounds of this hunt was an omen of death and disaster. The irish calls the "Hunt" hounds the "Hounds of hell" Norse tales speak of the "lusse", a witch who becomes a bird of prey and leads the Wild Hunt on the longest night of the year in December. In India, ancient Vedic records speak of the Moon as the gate of death; the Moon was ruled by the goddess Sarama and her two dogs. Yama, god of the dead, had two fierce, four-eyed dogs; they were his messengers to humans. In Mithraism, the dog beside the sacrificed bull symbolized the Mother Goddess and resurrection. In Chinese lore, there is the red Celstial Dog, T'ien Kou, who has dual purposes. When he helps Erh-lang chase away evil spirits, he is yin and represents fidelity and devotion, but when he becomes guardian of the night, he is yang and symbolizes destruction and catastophe. T'ien Kou is connected with comets, meteors, and eclipses. The dog is a protector and guardian in Japanese lore. The Buddhists have a lion-dog which they say is the defender of the law. In Slavic legend, the three goddesses, called Zorya, chained a dog to the constellation of the Little Bear; when it breaks free, the world will end. Dogs have been associated with Moon goddesses around the world. The Mongols, Chiquitos, and Balkan peoples all have mythologies connecting the Moon and dogs. Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec god, was said to have entered the land of the dead in the shape of a dog; some legends say that the Dog god Xolotl was his twin brother. The Berbers of Northern Africa still consider one who kills a dog unclean for the rest of their life, the same as if he had killed a human. Becausedogs were associated with the ancient Mother Goddesses, however, the Semitic and Islamic cultures made the animal "unclean," evil, and demonic. Women and dogs were not allowed to approach Islamic shrines. The word "dog" became an insult. During the persecution of witches, the dog was considered to be a demon lover of the witch and one of her powerful familiars. At one time magicians used a black dog to pull mandrake root from the ground, believing that the root's scream would cause a human to go insane. In alchemy, a picture of a dog being devoured by a wolf symbolized the purification of gold by antimony. SuperstitionsSome people believe that dogs will howl when there is a death. This idea comes from a Semitic tradition that dogs can see the Angel of Death approach and will howl.The Irish said that curses could be laid with a dog's help. In fact, the Celtic word "cainte" (dog) meant a Bard who could speak a true curse. The custom of lifting a bride over a threshold may have come from the ancient Assyrian burial of an image of a dog at that spot in a house; lifting the bride would show the guardian that the newcomer was welcome. An old Gypsy belief states that if a dog digs a hole in your garden there will be a death in the family. If a dog licks a human's wound, it will heal. Magickal AttributesTracking skills; the ability to scent a "trail" through conflicting or confusing situations.Companionship, keen hearing, loyalty, willingness to follow through. Using intuition to find new ideas and solutions. Seeking a teacher within by going into the silence. If seen in meditation, you will be guarded from approaching danger and threats. Protection Finding out the truth. ChantGoddess-companions, we trail the truth.Understand our night-cries! We guide and protect Her children. Heed our warnings! We sing to the Moon to show you the way To ancient Moon Magicks! We stand at the gates between the worlds. 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